Barack Obama & Michelle Obama to Produce Films and TV series on Netflix

Barack Obama and Michelle Obama Producing Films and TV Series on Netflix

Former United States President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama have entered into an agreement with Netflix to produce films and TV series for the streaming network. The contract with Netflix is a multi-year agreement with the Obamas’ newly created production company Higher Ground Productions. Through Higher Ground Productions, the Obamas can potentially create unscripted or scripted TV series, motion pictures, documentaries, and docu-series.

Side-thought – it is surprising that Oprah Winfrey and her OWN network did not outbid (or try to outbid) Netflix for the involvement of the Obamas.

Netflix Chief Content Officer Ted Sarandos had this to say about Barack Obama and Michelle Obama’s new involvement with Netflix:

Barack and Michelle Obama are among the world’s most respected and highly-recognized public figures and are uniquely positioned to discover and highlight stories of people who make a difference in their communities and strive to change the world for the better. We are incredibly proud they have chosen to make Netflix the home for their formidable storytelling abilities.

There is no word yet on what projects the Obamas will initially pursue (one can speculate that the possible projects may be: a doc on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, School Shootings, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, etc.) but the Obamas are clearly pleased with the new association they have forged.

President Obama had this to say about the new production deal with Netflix:

“One of the simple joys of our time in public service was getting to meet so many fascinating people from all walks of life, and to help them share their experiences with a wider audience. That’s why Michelle and I are so excited to partner with Netflix – we hope to cultivate and curate the talented, inspiring, creative voices who are able to promote greater empathy and understanding between peoples, and help them share their stories with the entire world.”

Michelle Obama had this to say:

“Barack and I have always believed in the power of storytelling to inspire us, to make us think differently about the world around us, and to help us open our minds and hearts to others. Netflix’s unparalleled service is a natural fit for the kinds of stories we want to share, and we look forward to starting this exciting new partnership.”

About the author

Rollo Tomasi

A Political Science and MBA grad who started FilmBook during an eCommerce B-School course in 2008. Cinema and TV addict. Former writer at Empire Movies, Blogcritics, and Alternative Film Guide. In addition to writing for FilmBook, he also edits the copy published on the website, manages its writing staff, manages the back-end operations, site finances, its social network accounts, and works with publicists, actors, and companies on press coverage and promotions. He has also created ProMovieBlogger.com and Trending Awards.com.